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5 Books I Read in August

August 28, 2015 by Tracey 8 Comments

I’m surprised that I was able to read as much as I did in August!  It was a very busy month, but here’s how I did with the books on my August reading list.

Spiritual:  The Sovereignty of God by Arthur Pink.  Honestly, I only read half of this book.  While I could have plowed through it, I kept getting bogged down in the debate between God’s sovereignty and man’s free will, and didn’t feel like I was getting what I expected from this book.
Marriage:  What Did You Expect?  Redeeming the Realities of Marriage by Paul David Tripp.  I’m enjoying this book so far….which means I didn’t get it finished this month!  Thanks to the Kindle, I know I’m only about 15% into the book, so I’ll hope to finish it up in September.
Parenting:  Raising Great Kids:  A Comprehensive Guide to Parenting with Grace and Truth by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.  This book dealt with the following six character traits that the authors believe we need to help our children develop:  connectedness, responsibility, reality, competence, morality, and worship/spiritual life.  I like how the authors related these to each stage of childhood, and – since I’m dealing with this stage – a couple of chapters at the end of the book emphasizing teenage issues.
Personal Growth:  Eat, Move, Sleep:  How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by Tom Rath.  I enjoyed this book full of easy adjustments we can make in our lifestyle that will help us to eat right, move more, and sleep better.  I breezed through it the first time (it’s an easy read), so I read it a second time in hopes of motivating myself to adapt at least a few of the ideas the author shared.

I read three other books in August.


Prairie School by Lois Lenski.  I read this aloud to my 12-year-old.  It was okay, but there are other Lois Lenksi books I’ve enjoyed more.

To Write a Wrong by Robin Caroll.  This was my first fiction read for our Boston vacation.  It was the sequel to Injustice for All which I read last month.  

The Candidate by Susan Wales and Robin Shope.  Mu other fiction read this month was the third book in its series.  It had been awhile since I read the first two; this one was okay, but I thought the first two were more intriguing. 

(Re-reading this post makes it sound like I had high expectations for my books this month!!)

Here are the books I hope to read/finish in September.

Spiritual:  The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a’ Kempis
Marriage:  What Did You Expect?  Redeeming the Realities of Marriage by Paul David Tripp
Parenting:  And Then I Had Teenagers:  Encouragement for Parents of Teens and Preteens by Susan Alexander Yates
Personal Growth:  Apartment Therapy:  Complete + Happy Home by Maxwell Ryan and Janel Laban

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

6 Books I Read in July

July 29, 2015 by Tracey Leave a Comment

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This is the third month in a row that I’ve read six books, so that must be a reasonable goal for me.

Here’s what I read from my list this month.

Spiritual: In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. Mark challenges readers to face their fears with God’s help and seize the opportunities He sends our way to do great things for Him.
Marriage:  When Sinners Say “I Do” – Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey.  I wasn’t impressed with this book at first, but the more I read, the more I appreciated the author’s premise.  We are all sinners, so in order to make our marriages work, the same traits that God extended to us in salvation – forgiveness, mercy, and grace – must dominate our relationship with our spouse.
Parenting:  When More Is Not Enough:  How to Stop Giving Your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need by Amy L. Sullivan.  The theme of this book is helping your kids develop a giving spirit and training them to focus on the needs of others rather than their own gratification.
Personal Growth:  I’m Happy for You (Sort of…Not Really):  Finding Contentment in a Culture of Comparison by Kay Wills Wyma.  You can read my full review of this book here.

I read two other books in June.

Styling Faith:  The Complete Style Guide by Catherine E. Storing.  This book had some interesting information on women’s dress, makeup, hair care, fitness, and nutrition, but the e-book version I read had some grammatical and formatting issues that somewhat distracted from the content.

Injustice for All by Robin Caroll.  This was one of my fiction reads for our Boston trip…that I started and finished before we ever left.

Here are the books I hope to read in August.

Spiritual:  The Sovereignty of God by Arthur Pink
Marriage:  What Did You Expect?  Redeeming the Realities of Marriage by Paul David Tripp
Parenting:  Raising Great Kids:  A Comprehensive Guide to Parenting with Grace and Truth by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Personal Growth:  Eat, Move, Sleep:  How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes by Tom Rath

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

I Can Be Happy for You

July 6, 2015 by Tracey 5 Comments

This book’s title I’m Happy for You (Sort Of…Not Really) grabbed me almost instantly.  As the subtitle explained the book’s theme as “Finding Contentment in a Culture of Comparison,” I decided that Kay Wills Wyma might be able to offer some insight into a personal struggle I have.

I don’t think I realized how bad it was until I found myself identifying with what she wrote on nearly every page.

I have what Kay Wills Wyma calls Obsessive Comparison Disorder.

“Comparison surrounds us so thoroughly that we don’t even realize how it’s suffocating us, stealing our contentment….The good news is that we can silence comparison when we learn to recognize its insidious invitation to self-obsession. Because really, that’s what comparison does; it makes life all about me, how I measure up or fall short.”  

Whether it’s a Facebook or Twitter post or a conversation with a friend I run into in the grocery store aisle, I seem compelled to compare my own performance or that of my children to someone else’s.

My thoughts take off in a million different directions.  “Do I do as much as that other woman at church does?  Did her daughter make the team, but not mine?  Is my appearance as satisfactory as that other mom I see picking her child up from school?  Is my daughter a better piano player than her classmate?”

This book called all these topics to the forefront of my mind and made me realize that comparison is a near constant, though unwelcome, presence in my life.  With humor and dignity and plenty of personal examples of her own
failures, Kay Wills Wyma calls us to really be content and learn how to be
happy for others.

Wyma quotes Jody Capehart as saying, “We are uniquely gifted by God for His purpose. When we rest in His assurance, happy with who we are, we are freed to say to others, ‘I am happy for you’ – and mean it.”

She talks about “yardstick living” – the constant need to measure ourselves or our children against some predetermined measurement.  She reminds us instead to strive after our potential – “Not someone else’s, not a predetermined spot we measure ourselves against, but our potential.  Might focusing on the reality that we each have differing “bests” free us to spur others on to strive after their potential?”

I love Wyma’s reminder of how this should look in regards to our children.

“And I asked myself, Am I loving them well?  Really loving them for who they are, not who I want them to be or think they ought to be or who society says they should be?  Am I loving them for the special individuals they are?  Am I helping them discover their unique gifting and building them up in that?  Even when such gifting might take them down a road that looks a bit different from what I or everyone around me expects or values?” 

We can find freedom when we let go of comparison.  “The urge to maintain appearances chains us to performance and leads us away from contentment.  Freedom comes when we each focus on doing our best rather than being the best.”

Just a couple of days ago, I found myself thinking, “Oh, their family did that and we didn’t.  Are my kids missing out?  Should I have done more?”   Then I caught myself and realized that comparison was sliding in, no matter how much I’ve been trying to keep it out.

She so perfectly puts what I want the attitude to be for the children in our home.

“My hope is that home will be a sweet memory for each of them….I hope it’s a place where they know they’re accepted and loved, regardless of how society says they measure up.  A place where their worth is not determined by their ability to act or look a certain way but simply by their being who they were created to be.  A place where they’re challenged to reach their unique potential and to encourage and celebrate with others as they do the same.”

Kay summarizes her book with the following:  “The source of
power – to mentally reboot, refocus perspective, be grateful, manage
expectations, and be genuinely happy for others – comes from God, who
does it for us.”

Yes, if you struggle with comparison and discontentment at times, like I do, read this book.  I’m on my second reading, marking more passages so that I can review them in the days to come.  May I learn to live in gratitude for how God has made me and our children, seek to reach our own potential, and genuinely celebrate with others in their accomplishments.

Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and
I was not compensated for this review in any other way.

Filed Under: Parent, Read

6 Books I Read in June

June 29, 2015 by Tracey 1 Comment

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I’m happy to be keeping up with most of my reading goals in spite of our lively summer schedule.

I didn’t read the marriage book I had planned on for June (The 10 Commandments of Marriage by Ed Young). I put it on hold at the library and waited on it all month, but it never came in.  I’m selective about what books I spend money on these days and wasn’t sure this one was good enough to buy!  I’ll try to read it later this year.

Here’s what I did read from my list this month.

  • What Happens When Women Pray by Evelyn Carol Christenson.  I was glad I persevered through the first half of this book, because the last several chapters were very helpful.  There were excellent reminders about scheduling our personal prayer time and on praying in God’s will.
  • Hopeful Parenting:  Encouragement for Raising Kids Who Love God by David Jeremiah.  This truly was a book of encouragement for parents!  The author reminds us that ultimately our children belong to God and He provides the resources we need to parent our children.  Training our children in the ways of God should be one of our greatest priorities as we see them as the blessing in our lives that God intended them to be.
  • Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph (This was a re-read.)  I enjoyed reading through this book again.  Courtney inspires Christian women in every area of their walk with the Lord, from personal devotions to their marriage and parenting.

These are the other books I read in June.

  • Imposter by Davis Bunn.  This was my fiction read for our family vacation in the mountains.
  • Fodor’s Boston.  Read through this in preparation for our trip to Boston next month! 
  • I’m Happy for You (Sort Of…Not Really):  Finding Contentment in a Culture of Comparison by Kay Wills Wyma.  I’ve already mentioned how much I love this book, and I’ll write a full review post on it soon.

Here are the books I hope to read in July.

Spiritual:  In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
Marriage:  When Sinners Say “I Do” – Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey
Parenting:  When More Is Not Enough:  How to Stop Giving Your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need by Amy L. Sullivan
Personal Growth:  I’m Happy for You (Sort of…Not Really):  Finding Contentment in a Culture of Comparison by Kay Wills Wyma.  Yes, I’m reading this book again!  I marked it up the first time through, but want to read it again more slowly and absorb its message even more.

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

6 Books I Read in May

May 29, 2015 by Tracey 1 Comment

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I made it through all four of the books I planned to read in May!

  • Restless:  Because You Were Made for More by Jennie Allen.  This book dealt with finding the work that God has for you by studying the threads of your life that He has uniquely woven together to fit you for His calling.
  • Wife After God:  Drawing Closer to God and Your Husband by Jennifer Smith.  This was actually a devotional, which I started the month by using each morning, but ended up just reading the final ten days or so all at once.  The best section was the one on praying for your spouse.  It challenged me to pray even more specifically for my husband’s needs on a daily basis.
  • Parenting with Purpose:  Winning the Heart of Your Child by Paul and Billie Kaye Tsika.  This book taught parents to develop a balance between discipline and grace when dealing with their children.  Guidance for parenting teens was woven throughout the book, which I found helpful for my current season!
  • Better Than Before:  Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin.  You can read my full review here.

I read two other books this month as well.

  • Come Home to Supper by Christy Jordan.  This is Christy’s (SouthernPlate.com) second cookbook and I really enjoyed it!  I’ve got a number of recipes I want to try.
  • Sweet Journey:  A Bible Study by Teri Maxwell.  A friend at church gave me this book a few years ago and I enjoyed the study so much that I went back through it again.

Here are the books I hope to read in June.

Spiritual:  What Happens When Women Pray by Evelyn Carol Christenson
Marriage:  The 10 Commandments of Marriage by Ed Young
Parenting:  Hopeful Parenting:  Encouragement for Raising Kids Who Love God by David Jeremiah
Personal Growth:  Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph (This is a re-read.)

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

Book Review: Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

May 27, 2015 by Tracey 2 Comments

“Habits are the invisible architecture of daily life….If we change our habits, we change our lives.”

So begins Gretchen Rubin’s latest book Better Than Before:  Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives.  She has studied happiness and habits and sets out to show that developing good habits is a way to make our lives better.  Throughout the book, she gives readers helpful tips on how to establish good habits, demonstrates the importance of tailoring habits to our individual personalities, and shares keys for making them stick.  The author shares her own experiences, as well as those of family members and friends she has helped.

This was a fun read for me as I can totally identify with Gretchen’s fondness for good habits.  Having habits in place – whether for eating, exercising, quiet time, spending time with our spouse and children – frees up our decision-making skills while insuring that the tasks that really matter to us, those things that enrich our lives, are actually getting done.

Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and
I was not compensated for this review in any other way.

Filed Under: Read

Summer Reading for My 14-Year-Old Daughter

May 20, 2015 by Tracey 2 Comments

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for
the people you meet and the books you read
.”  ~Charlie “Tremendous”
Jones

That is one of my favorite quotes!  Books really can impact our lives, so my husband and I want our girls to read quality literature that teaches them principles they’ll remember long after they put down the book.

As I mentioned in my summer learning post, we’re assigning our teenage daughter seven non-fiction books to read this summer.  (You can also check out the seven books she read last summer.)

1.  Just Friends:  Guarding Your Heart for a Wonderful Someday by Mike Ray and Cary Schmidt.  I pre-read this book and think it will be a helpful read for her before she enters high school in the fall.

2.  The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.  She read Financial Peace last summer, so we’ll see how the two compare in her mind.

3.  The Image of Loveliness by Joanne Wallace.  I read this book in high school, and even though parts of it may be a bit dated, I still think my daughter can learn much about inner and outer beauty in its pages.

4.  What Happens When Young Women Say Yes to God by Lysa Terkeurst.

5.  The Go-Giver:  A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann.   (This book is not pictured, by the way, as it’s loaned out to someone right now.)

6.  Start Here:  Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are by Alex and Brett Harris.  This is the follow-up to Do Hard Things, which she read last summer.

7.  Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally.

Our daughter will have about a week to read each book and prepare a brief report on it.  As I mentioned before, we pay her $5 for each completed report.  Next summer, we’ll have both girls on this program.

What other books would you recommend (fiction or non-fiction) for a 14-year-old girl?

Filed Under: Parent, Read

7 Books I Read in April

April 29, 2015 by Tracey 2 Comments

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I’m excited to be back on track with my reading after a miserable report in March!

Here are the four books I’d planned to read in April.

  • To Live is Christ by Beth Moore.  I had enjoyed Beth’s book Believing God,  so I decided to try another one.  For some reason, I just never got into this particular study.
  • The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages:  The Little Things That Make a Big Difference by Shaunti Feldhahn.  Enjoyed re-reading this book and reminding myself of the importance of showing my husband love in small, daily acts and attitudes.
  • Middle School:  The Inside Story by Cynthia Tobias and Sue Acuna.  The authors of this book had a helpful perspective on middle schoolers and shared practical advice for some of the issues parents deal with when their children are this age.  It also affirms that most kids experience similar issues during this period, which is comforting!  This is a book I will refer to again, I’m sure.
  • The Power of a Half Hour:  Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time by Tommy Barnett.  You can read my full review of this book here.

These are the other books I read in April.

  • Double Cross by DiAnn Mills.  This was my fiction read for our trip to Florida.
  • How To Get Dressed:  A Costume Designer’s Secrets for Making Your Clothes Look, Fit, and Feel Amazing by Alison Freer.  You can read my review of this book here.
  • The French Women’s Diet by Susan Kiernan-Lewis.  I think I stay motivated to eat healthier foods and move more when I read books like this one frequently!

Here are the books I plan to read in May.

Spiritual:  Restless:  Because You Were Made for More by Jennie Allen
Marriage:  Wife After God:  Drawing Closer to God and Your Husband by Jennifer Smith
Parenting: Parenting with Purpose:  Winning the Heart of Your Child by Paul and Billie Kaye Tsika
Personal Growth:  Better Than Before:  Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

Book Review: The Power of a Half Hour by Tommy Barnett

April 8, 2015 by Tracey 4 Comments

 The Power of a Half Hour by Tommy Barnett

While not specifically a time management book, Tommy Barnett’s The Power of a Half Hour:  Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time gives thirty ways you can use a half hour to improve your life.

The overall theme of the book is developed by encouraging readers to designate thirty-minute time slots to better their spiritual walk, advance their dreams, enhance their relationships, and help others.  Rather than view thirty minutes as too small a block of time to accomplish anything, the author challenges readers to seize that time and use it in a profitable way.  He shares many personal examples of how his life has been changed or improved in just a half hour.  A personal action plan you can use for each “Half-Hour Power Principle” is included at the back of the book.

This book is easy to read and was a good reminder to use little slots of time purposefully rather than just let them slip away. 

Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and
I was not compensated for this review in any other way.

Filed Under: Read

3 Books I Read in March

April 1, 2015 by Tracey 1 Comment

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As I mentioned in my monthly update of my yearly goals, I just finished one of my four books for March and only read three books total.  


Here’s the book I finished that was on my reading list last month.

  • The Parenting Breakthrough:  A Real-Life Plan to Teach Your Kids to Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent by Merrilee Browne Boyack.  The author included practical and helpful ideas for instilling your children with a strong work ethic, helping them handle money wisely, and building a family environment that will encourage children to be grounded in their faith.  However, I didn’t realize before starting this book that the author was a Mormon, so references that she made to her religion were unfamiliar and did somewhat detract from the overall message of the book.

The other books I read this month were these.

  • One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp.  This book contained many of the same principles and stories as her original book.
  • The Legacy Journey:  A Radical View of Biblical Wealth and Generosity by Dave Ramsey

Here are the books I hope to read in April  The parenting title is a new one; the other three are the books I had planned to read in March.

Spiritual:  To Live is Christ:  Joining Paul’s Journey of Faith by Beth Moore
Marriage:  The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages:  The Little Things That Make a Big Difference by Shaunti Feldhahn.  (You may recognize this title; it’s a re-read.)
Parenting: Middle School:  The Inside Story by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias and Sue Acuna
Personal Growth:  The Power of a Half Hour:  Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time by Tommy Barnett

What have you been reading lately?

Filed Under: Read

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Welcome! I'm Tracey, wife and mom to two teenage girls. I seek to help Christian moms raise children who know, love, and serve God by sharing Biblical wisdom, helpful tips, and practical advice. Read More…

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